


Paradox

by Shergar



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alec does what Alec wants, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Fox!Magnus Bane, Happy Ending, Hound!Alec Lightwood, Immortal Husbands Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, M/M, Meetings through time, Robert Lightwood has definitely lost control of the situation, and thats okay, happy ending I promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:47:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27361489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shergar/pseuds/Shergar
Summary: 5 times Alec almost caught Magnus and 1 time that he didn't have to.(A retelling of the myth of Laelaps and the Teumessian Fox - A dog who always caught its prey and a fox who could never be caught.)
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 54
Kudos: 118





	1. Hyacinth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An idea that's been around for a while... I blame NaNo for making the words work.

“He needs to go.”

Alec didn’t know why he was trying to argue with his parents anymore. It was clear that they weren’t going to listen to anything that he had to say. They’d called him here to do a very specific job, one that he was very, very good at, but when he’d brought up that he hadn’t agreed with their order, they’d been quick to shut him down.

“Just go in and put an end to him,” His father said, staring at him with a bland expression from the other side of the table. “Others have tried but they didn’t have you.” Of course, they didn’t. Alec Lightwood was one of a kind; a hunter who always caught his prey.

And Magnus Bane?

Magnus Bane was a man who could never be caught.

He knew Magnus, of course, in the way that all the old things knew of each other. They’d never met before but he had heard stories...and it seemed everyone had some sort of story about Magnus.

Right now, Magnus had moved a little too close to a city that was near and dear to his father’s heart, and with him came the wild, unhinged parties that he was known for. “They say he’s eating children.”

Alec scoffed, if that wasn’t the stupidest thing he’d ever heard of he wasn’t sure what was. “We all know that’s not true. He’s just having a good time. What’s wrong with bringing a little bit of fun to the village? Are they...what, reveling too loud for you?”

Robert growled and slammed his fist on the table, causing the other members of his family to startle. Alec held his ground, turning his chin up and crossing his arms behind his back. “Your job isn’t to ask questions, it’s to do what we say. The hound obeys his master. Magnus Bane has reached the end of his usefulness. Consider this your official order - hunt him and terminate him. Am I clear?”

“Crystal,” He bit back. “If I may be excused?” His father waved him out, officially dismissing him. He didn’t agree with the order one bit but once it was given, it must be obeyed. Alec, however, had gotten very good at reading between the lines of the spell that bound him over the years. He’d hunt Magnus Bane, as his father had ordered, but he’d do so on his own terms. No one had said that the job had to be done  _ quickly,  _ after all. 

He stepped out into the night and let his magic wash over him, replacing his human form with the four-footed one. He was large for a hound, supernaturally so, with shaggy black fur and glowing blue eyes. He shook off the last tingle of the magic that let him transform and allowed himself to get lost in various trails that he could see. There were a doe and her fawn off to the right somewhere, his family’s trails started and ended in the cottage, various people from the village had trekked by during the day and…there. A soft blue that seemed to sparkle in the air. Magnus Bane. 

Alec raised his nose to the sky and howled. The hunt was on.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The trail led him to the only tavern in town, a fact that didn’t surprise Alec in the least. He pushed open the door, breathing in the smell of freshly baked bread, beer, and roast chicken before quietly sliding into a stool at the end of the bar. He glanced around, taking in the sight of the townsfolk enjoying their evening before his eyes fell on the man he had come to find. Magnus Bane was perched on the top of the bar, a pint in his hand, laughing at something one of the women next to him had said.

“Anything I can get you?” The woman behind the bar asked and Alec turned to her with his biggest smile. 

“A pint of beer and some sausages, please. That’s a good place to start, I think.” The lady turned towards the back with a grunt and disappeared into the kitchen. 

“My, my...what do we have here?” A voice purred from his left. He turned and found that Magnus Bane had abandoned his perch at the end of the bar to stalk over to him, gold eyes flashing in the candlelight. “One of Lightwood’s puppies, perhaps?”

“Alec,” He started, coughing choked on the beer that he had been sipping. “My name’s Alec Lightwood.”  _ His game, his rules, _ he reminded himself.  __

“Short for Alexander, I presume. What can I help you with, Alexander? Surely, you don’t just pop into the local tavern for a quick pint. I’ve heard what they say about you. Let’s just say your reputation precedes you.” He’d moved behind Alec now, his painted nails trailing lightly over the back of his neck. Alec fought back a shiver and tried to focus on the man out of the corner of his eye. 

“And what do they say about me, Mr. Bane?”

“Rumor has it that you catch whatever you’re hunting and you’ve never lost your prey. Did your father send you after me, I wonder? What are the chances that you show up in the very place I’ve chosen to lay my head for the night? Robert was always a terrible bore, after all. No fun at the family reunions,” the man replied, trailing his fingers down the side of Alec’s neck to the open skin at his collar. Alec’s breath hitched and he froze, too aware that he wasn’t the only predator in the room.

“They also say that you’re a fair man, Alexander Lightwood and I believe that if you were here to kill me, you wouldn’t do it this publically, at least.”

“I can’t deny that the order wasn’t given,” Alec said after a moment, still far too aware of just how closely the other man was standing. “But as long as the order is eventually fulfilled, it doesn’t matter how I get there in the end. Maybe today, I’m just here for a pint, a meal, and to enjoy the scenery.”

“Then I wouldn’t want to deprive you of the view,” Magnus replied, stepping back and heading towards the other end of the bar with a swagger. His sausages were placed in front of him and Alec tried to focus on his meal, stealing glances at the frustratingly beautiful man with the golden eyes. He didn’t have to make his move tonight, after all. He would be able to track Magnus anywhere and who said he couldn’t play a little cat and mouse game (or fox and hound if you will) in the meantime?

He paid for his meal and glanced towards the end of the bar one final time, unsurprised to find that Magnus Bane had vanished, leaving only a single red hyacinth flower in his place. Alec picked up the bloom and rolled it between his fingers with a smirk. The chase was on, it seemed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red Hyacinths can apparently represent playing a game... so it seemed fitting.


	2. Daisy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time, they meet in Venice.

The next time Alec Lightwood catches up with Magnus Bane, it was one hundred years later and what felt like worlds away. He’d taken the long way around, much to his father’s chagrin, as he still wasn’t keen on fulfilling the order just yet. Robert had been hounding him to get the deed done, and soon, but he’d found himself with a sudden desire to see the world. Any time his lack of success was brought up during a family conversation, he’d brush it aside with a simple ‘He’s supposed to be uncatchable - what do you expect? I’m good but maybe he’s better.’

Italy in early February was frigid and yet still delightfully sunny so Alec found himself enjoying the view as he walked down the canals of Venice. It seemed he’d arrived in the middle of Carnival - the colors and the masks alone were a nice change of pace from the dense forests and verdant landscapes that he normally ran through...not that he’d done any  _ actual _ hunting as of late. Sure, he’d take a few small jobs for the locals of the towns he found himself stopping in but his real target was still out there. 

Alec, however, was in no real rush to catch him - if he even could. Thus far Magnus Bane had proved  _ magnificently _ hard to pin down, so to speak. Every time Alec got close, it seemed he was already two steps behind. 

Trust a fox to outwit the hound.

“I hear the summer is a much better time to visit, though I never could resist a good party. Plentiful wine, fancy dress? What’s not to like?” He hadn’t noticed the man fall in beside him but he really couldn’t say he was surprised. Two steps behind and all that. 

Magnus was dressed in a cobalt blue silk jacket over a deep purple brocade waistcoat and breeches the same shade as his coat. His mask was heavily stylized but it was obvious to Alec from the orange and white coloring that it was supposed to be a fox. What else would it be? Magnus was still playing his games after all.

For his part, Alec had chosen a shade of blue so dark it was almost black lined with barely noticeable hints of silver along the edges. He was missing the heavy ornamentation that many of the others worse on their garments but there was a line when it came to fashion that he still wasn’t willing to cross. He already felt very out of place in fancy silks and wild colors but his rough leather and heavy furs, while practical for what he did, would look too out of place during the Italian celebration. 

“I don’t know, it’s not really my cup of tea to be perfectly honest. Too many people, too much action. I don’t know how you can stand it.” He’d added a mask to his attire too, a semi-generic canine mask that he had to admit looked nothing like his other form. He was fitting in, he reminded himself. He’d known that Magnus would be obvious in his choice so he’d picked something similar. At the end of the day, it took two to play the game.

“Ah yes, I suppose you’d prefer the quiet of the countryside, wouldn’t you? Plenty of small, innocent creatures for you to chase to your doggy heart’s content.” Magnus’ tone was joking but there still was a faint hint of ice behind his words.

Alec raised an eyebrow, despite knowing it would be unnoticeable behind his mask. “I’m not sure I’d call anything about you innocent, Magnus Bane. At least not from the stories I’ve heard.” Stories, rumors...call them what you will but there was a reason Robert had sent him hunting after all.

“Mmm,” The man practically purred, a mischievous glint in his eye. “The ones where I’m known for my spectacular parties? Or the ones about what goes on behind closed doors? Giacomo Casanova was certainly a fan, I can assure you. Would you like to find out, Alexander?” Magnus whispered in his ear, pulling him down a narrow alley and pushing him firmly against a wall. 

Magnus’ hands slipped beneath Alec’s shirt as his tongue ran up the man’s neck. Alec shivered, his breath hitching as the man gently tilted his face down as he reached up for a kiss. “I’ve heard all the stories.” Alec managed in between breathless kisses. “The parties that you throw that you barely seem to attend...the men and women you take to your bed, though I admit Casanova is new to me. I hadn’t heard that one yet though I suppose it was only a matter of time.”

“Is that all they say about me? No wonder your father wants me dead...he’s still as much of a stick in the mud as he ever was, it seems.” He pulled away, bitterness in his voice. Alec caught the man’s chin in his hand before he could get too far and held it with a gentle grasp.

“That’s not all they say… I’ve asked. Every place I’ve stopped, I’ve asked about you. Not a single person has a bad thing to say about you. Your scandalous reputation aside, you are free with your coin and you help those in need. In the last town I passed through you saved a woman and her child from an abusive husband, at the risk of me catching up to you. Every town I’ve followed you through has at least one story like that… I don’t think the parties are the true you, Magnus Bane. I think you care...and I think that scares my father more.”

Magnus stared into his eyes as if trying to see right to Alec’s very core. After a moment, he inhaled sharply, breaking the silence and looking back at Alec with a small smile, obviously satisfied with whatever he had seen. “Right then,” He started with sigh, grabbing Alec’s arm to pull him closer once more. “I suppose this is ciao until next time, pup.” Magnus whispered, planting one last light kiss on the side of Alec’s cheek. “Do try to give me a heads up if you’re planning on killing me. Affairs to get in order and all that.” The fox released his hand and gave him a gentle push back towards the street.

When Alec looked back, he was unsurprised to find that Magnus was nowhere to be seen and he was left holding a daisy in a now-empty Venetian alley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not pretend to have been around in 1700s Italy. My knowledge is based of Wikipedia and a vague recollection of BBC's Casanova. Please don't kill me.
> 
> Daisies represent innocence.


	3. Camellia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They see each other again fifty years later in Munich this time.

The next time Magnus allows him to get close is 1819, some fifty years after their last meeting in Venice. Alec was still taking his time as they wove through the countryside, dodging wars and helping the locals where they could, under no real rush to complete the task that he had been ordered to fulfill. His father still asked, sure, but he’d gotten very good at evading the question and changing the subject quickly when it came up (and fewer family dinners certainly helped as well.)

It was late October and the weather in Munich was still in that transitory period between needing a jacket and still being warm, the latter helped along by a bright sun that had no clouds to hide behind. Alec strolled through the festival casually, his hands in his pockets, with no rhyme or reason to the direction he was going. He knew Magnus was here, this was the sort of place he  _ thrived _ in. He wasn’t worried - the fox would show himself when he was ready.

It wasn’t long before he felt a presence beside him and he fought back the smirk that he felt forming on his face. “Oh, don’t look so dour. Have a drink, enjoy the fair.  _ Play a game.” _

He’d gotten glimpses of Magnus, of course, as he followed him across Europe but this close he could see that the man hadn’t changed. Gone were the brightly colored silks he’d been dressed in Venice and instead he was dressed in tan slacks, a white shirt, and a forest green wool jacket. Alec found himself missing the purple and blue from before. Magnus looked good, he always looked good, but the bright colors suited him more. He looked… almost out of place in the simple, dull fabrics. He definitely needed more sparkle to his ensemble.

“I thought I was already playing a game,” Alec replied. “Or are we considering the tour of Europe you’ve taken me on just a vacation?” For his part, Alec was dressed in black pants and a dark grey jacket, not dissimilar to what Magnus wore, but he’d also added a black wide-brimmed hat. He was sure there was some sort of fashion rule he was breaking but he didn’t care. Honestly, any extra protection against the mid-day sun was welcome. 

“It takes two to play a game and honestly, pup, you haven’t been trying all that hard. I’m starting to think you don’t actually care and that makes my heartbreak.” He could hear the playfulness in Magnus’ voice but it still made him frown. 

“You know that’s not true, Magnus. If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t still be chasing you.” 

They’d stopped in front of a carnival booth that offered some sort of game with a tower of glass bottles. “Knock down the bottles on your first try and win a prize!” The man behind the booth offered and Alec turned to Magnus with a smirk. He quickly retrieved a coin from his pocket and handed it over to the man working the counter. 

He was handed a leather ball and pretended to line up his shot for appearance's sake before giving it an easy toss. He heard the six bottles clatter behind him and he grinned. 

“Well done, sir. You have your choice.” The man motioned to the table in front of him, filled with jewelry and a few porcelain pieces and Alec let his eyes scan over them quickly, a sparkle at the very end catching his eye. He pointed and the man nodded knowingly. “Good choice, son. Meant to be worn on the ear. I’m sure there’s someone special in your life that will appreciate your exquisite taste.”

Alec thanked the man and turned his attention back to Magnus who rolled his eyes despite the fond expression on his face. “Those bottles aren’t the only thing I’d like to see you bowl over.” Alec’s cheeks reddened and he held his prize out to Magnus. 

“For you, Mr. Bane.” Magnus stood there blinking for a moment before quickly recovering his composure and taking the ear cuff from Alec to fasten it around his ear. “A token to show just how much I do care, so you’ll remember me as I continue to chase you across the world.”

“We don’t have a lot of time left,” He murmured, pulling Alec close and resting his forehead against the taller man’s chest. 

“I know,” Alec replied softly, gently rubbing his hand up the fox’s back. It was true, they didn’t have a lot of time left. They’d have to leave Oktoberfest soon if they didn’t want it to look suspicious to anyone who may be following their cat and mouse game across Europe. Alec’s father, especially, was invested in seeing Magnus meet his end by Alec’s fangs and claws...and Alec could still feel that order slowly bubbling under his skin. It wasn’t to the tipping point, not yet, but one day it would be and he wouldn’t be able to stop the destruction that came with it as he finally carried it out.

“One more thing before we have to leave?” Magnus asked with a sigh, stepping back to look up into Alec’s eyes. 

“Of course. Anything for you.” Magnus could ask the sun and moon of him and Alec would do his very best to give them to him.

Magnus gave him a sad smile and took his hand. “Ride the carousel with me?” Alec nodded and allowed the fox to pull him toward the brightly colored horses at the end of the path. They purchased ride tickets and slipped inside. Despite the number of other people at the fair, they had the ride to themselves. Alec wasn’t sure if that was pure luck or a little bit of magic on Magnus’ part.

He let Magnus steer them towards two horses closest to the center. Alec’s was as black as his fur in his canine form with bright gold tack and all four feet off the ground. Magnus’ steed was copper-colored with bright blue accents, his head held high while he engaged the black horse in a merry chase. 

Once the ride started, the horses started moving slowly up and down and the ride started to spin and Alec let out a bark of laughter. He didn’t often do things for fun, his job was all work and no play, but things with Magnus were simpler. He could enjoy himself without worrying about another job or what his parents expected of him… it was nice. He wished he could have this all the time but people like them didn’t get happy endings. 

“Kiss me,” he said, glancing over at Magnus as he noticed pain in the other man’s eyes. “We might not have forever but we have right now.”

Magnus grabbed the pole of Alec’s horse and pulled himself closer as they both leaned into the kiss. They broke apart once or twice as their horses continued to move up and down and around and around, only to reconnect a few seconds later with a quiet laugh. As the ride slowed to a stop a few minutes later, Magnus took a moment to run his thumb gently across Alec’s cheek. “Of course, Alexander. We will always have right now.”

As Alec climbed off and reached a hand out to help Magnus off, he wasn’t surprised to find the other man had disappeared as he was wont to do, a pink camellia now sitting on the saddle of the copper horse. 

He tucked the flower into his jacket and strolled back through the now less-interesting carnival stalls. There was nothing left for him here now. He’d catch up with Magnus soon enough. It might be ten, twenty, maybe even another hundred years, but it would happen and he could anxiously await that moment until it did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look. The number of Chrome tabs I had open trying to research for this was obscene. Dr. Google failed me with a lot of answers so I took a very liberal approach to early Oktoberfest. Please don't kill me. 
> 
> Was this an excuse for them to make out on a carousel? MAYBE. 
> 
> I realize the irony of this chapter's flower.
> 
> A pink camellia is said to represent longing.


	4. Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the 19th century finds them halfway across the world.

Alec had arrived in Istanbul the old-fashioned way - on four feet, as opposed to the supposedly sumptuous train that he was sure Magnus had taken to get here. He’d also arrived two days early, the journey much shorter when using the little bit of magic that he had then the four days the Orient Express took to reach Istanbul from Paris. Length of journey aside, the train was the height of luxury travel and Magnus Bane was all about luxury. 

Alec knew that the fox would be arriving sometime today, the train’s arrival that afternoon was the talk of the Pera Palace Hotel. Tonight was their grand opening and there would be a magnificent ball that evening once the passengers had time to get situated in their rooms. 

The hotel bar was quiet as the staff made their last-minute preparations and the few guests who had arrived before the train were out exploring the city. Alec had peeked around for a few hours yesterday but it just wasn’t interesting to him...maybe it would have been better if he hadn’t been so alone.

He swirled the whiskey around his glass, trying not to glance at his reflection in the mirror behind the bar. He looked... _ tired  _ but he supposed a few centuries of running across the world trying very hard not to do your job would do that to you. He could still feel it...the task his father had given him, it was now a light simmer under his skin but it was building steadily. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep this game up. 

Someone slid into the seat next to him and waved down the bartender. “Whiskey - neat, my good sir.”

Alec raised an eyebrow as he turned his head towards the man. “You’re early. The train isn’t expected for at least another few hours.”

“I didn’t realize you were following the train time tables so closely, Alexander,” Magnus replied with a smirk, taking a sip of the whiskey the bartender had placed in front of him. “But as it turns out, you are correct. I decided I couldn’t stand the thought of you waiting here for who knows how long without me to show you the finer things in life so I took advantage of something the other passengers don’t have...magic.” There was a glint in his eye as he waved the fingers of one hand, blue sparks dancing around them. 

“Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I’ve been here since yesterday and I’ve gotten along just fine without you,” Alec said, returning the smirk. “I even had a nice stroll around the city while I waited.”

“How did you get here so early? How did you even know I was going to be here? Are you  _ spying _ on me, pup?” 

Alec snorted. “Please... big, pretty train going to a fancy party at a shiny, new hotel - where else would you be, Magnus? You like to be right in the middle of things.” He said, waving his hand towards the rest of the luxury hotel behind him. “And this is definitely the place to be tonight. Also - I ran. Unlike you, I don’t need creature comforts to get by… and I’m a tad bit faster than the train.”

Magnus smiled, finishing his whiskey and pushing himself off his stool. “Well, I’d say that’s the truth and as I’ve just arrived in this fine city, Mr. Lightwood - why don’t you show me around? We’ve got plenty of time before the ball tonight,” He replied, offering a hand to Alec. 

“It would be my genuine pleasure, Mr. Bane.”

\-----------------------------------------

The ball was as Alec had expected - lavish, crowded, and full of people whose names he should know but chose not to remember. He and Magnus had danced, drank, and mingled. He listened to the fox regale politicians and celebrities with tales of his international travels - stories that Alec found were mostly true if slightly exaggerated. This sort of thing was not typically his cup of tea but with Magnus by his side, he found he didn’t really mind it. 

As the night wound to a close and the guests began to depart, Alec nodded his head towards the front door. “Shall we take a walk before we truly end our evening?”

Magnus smiled and they walked in silence for a few moments, the city streets mostly dark and abandoned. “We don’t have a lot of time left,” Alec said after he’d found the right words and worked up the courage to say them. “I can feel my father’s order under my skin. It’s more than an itch now… it’s a burn. I’ve never disobeyed one for so long. It’ll just start to get worse from here. We’ve got maybe one meeting left… two if we’re really lucky.”

Magnus inhaled sharply and grabbed Alec by the arm, turning him so that they were staring into each other’s eyes. “ You mean it? That...that soon?”

There was no smile on Alec’s face as he pulled Magnus closer. “I’ve held off as long as I can but it’s starting to hurt now. It’s not just an annoyance. The next time we meet…” He knew Magnus would understand - the next time they met, Alec would be in too much pain to play their game the way he had in the years since their first meeting.

“I wish…” 

“I know,” Alec replied softly, pulling Magnus in for a kiss. “I do too.” Alec wished a lot of things...that his father had never given the order for him to hunt Magnus, that they’d met under better circumstances, that they’d had more time together...that everything that had led them to this moment had been  _ different. _ “Stay tonight...please? You can take off tomorrow the way you always do but let us have this.”

It would be the longest they’d spent together, usually only stealing moments when they thought they could get away with it. “Okay,” Magnus agreed, grabbing Alec’s hand and leading him back towards Alec’s room at the hotel (Alec had just accepted at this point that there were some things that Magnus just  _ knew  _ \- like how Alec always knew where the other man was going to be.)

Once the door was closed, Magnus couldn’t help but grin. “Is this the true curious case of what the dog did in the night-time?” Alec frowned, the reference going over his head. “It’s a story, love. A mystery about a missing racehorse. Honestly, do you do anything but work?”

“I’m not working right now…”

“Then show me, pup, what you do in the night-time…”

Alec threw his jacket towards a chair in the corner, missing completely but finding himself unable to care. He barely had time to remove his shirt and shoes before Magnus was pushing him onto the bed. “Well that was graceful,” Magnus whispered between kisses. 

“What can I say? I’m light on my feet.” 

They might not have forever and they both knew that they didn’t have much longer after this but at least they’d have their stolen moments. 

When Alec awoke in the morning, he wasn’t surprised to find that he was alone. There was only a red rose left on the pillow to remind him of the night before. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we know what the rose stands for. ;)
> 
> The Pera Palace hotel DID in fact host a ball to celebrate their grand opening in 1895. The hotel was constructed to give travelers a place to stay at the end of the route that, like the train itself, was the height of luxury.  
> Silver Blaze was released in 1893 in case you are curious about the Sherlock reference.  
> Constantinople didn't officially become Istanbul until 1930 (so don't kill me) but there's a bunch of linguistic history that suggests the city was referred to as something fairly close to Istanbul for years. 
> 
> The next one's gonna be pretty sad, guys. I promise there is a happy ending though!


	5. Lily

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They find their way to New York City in the 1920s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouch...this one hurts guys.

It was Alec who chose their next meeting. They’d crossed the ocean since the night in Istanbul and less than thirty years had passed since their last meeting. This was the shortest they’d gone between their visits, a testament to how true Alec’s words to Magnus had been on that darkened Turkish street. They had originally landed in New York, separately, about ten years ago and had traversed the United States before finding their way back to the same place that they’d first stepped foot on American soil - New York City. It was the start of a brand new adventure...and the end of a very, very old one. 

Alec wasn’t sure exactly where Magnus was...only that he was fairly close and would likely show up if he put himself out there. So that’s exactly what he did - he found a bench in Central Park and waited, enjoying the peace and quiet that came from the vast, green area in the middle of a bustling city. It was so different from their previous meetings...Magnus liked being in the middle of history, Alec preferred to keep to the sidelines. It didn’t take long… an hour, two tops before he felt a presence sit down on the bench he’d claimed as his own. 

“Alexander,” He said simply, trying to stay formal until the other man had given him the okay. He’d been warned that this meeting may be different… Alec had said that he may not be himself. After a moment of silence, he furrowed his brow and glanced to his left, surprised to find Alec staring at his hands in his lap. “Alexander, look at me.” When he didn’t make a move, Magnus gently turned the hound’s head towards his own. 

Alec looked terrible...there were bags under his eyes like he hadn’t slept in months, and his skin was paler than it had been the last time that they had met. On top of that, Magnus could feel the fire under man’s skin. Alec had said last time the abandoned order had felt like a simmer… Magnus never thought that he had meant that literally. “Oh, my love…” He whispered, pulling the other man tightly against him and feeling how tense he was. “You’re burning up…” His temperature would have killed any normal human.

“I can’t do this anymore, Magnus. I tried to hold off as long as I could but it  _ hurts _ too bad now...I can’t think. I can’t sleep. I can’t do anything but burn. I just want it to stop...I need it to stop but I don’t want to hurt you.” He was biting back a sob now, just barely, but Magnus continued to hold him close. 

“We always knew it would come to this...we knew our secret meetings were playing with the proverbial fire. You warned me last time that we didn’t have much longer left.” Alec had said that they had one more meeting...two if they were lucky. Magnus had very, very much been hoping for the two.

“But I was hoping I was wrong… I was hoping I could find a way to stop it. I’ve looked. Trust me, I’ve looked...in books, in legends, new knowledge and old but I couldn’t find anything that would free me from this stupid order. I don’t want to be my father’s bloodhound anymore… I just want to be me and I just want to be with you and I  _ can’t. _ ” He was trembling now and he knew that Magnus could feel it but he found himself simply not caring. They’d come so far and been through so much, if this was it for them then Alec was not going to hold back. 

“I know...I wish things could have been different. You deserve happiness,” Magnus replied. He may be free to come and go as he pleased but Alec was always destined to follow the orders that he had been given. They couldn’t ignore the paths that they had been given in life. At their very core, they were the fox that could never be caught who was chased by the hound that always caught his prey - a true paradox in every sense of the word.

“I deserve you, Magnus. That’s all I want. I’d spent the rest of eternity hunting for my father if it meant that I could spare you and have you in my life forever.”

Magnus turned Alec’s head towards his and pulled the other man in for a kiss, a small voice in the back of his mind telling him that this would be their  _ last. _ There would be no more secret meetings after this, no more wild parties or cross-country games. No more stolen kisses in Italian alleys or carefree rides on wooden horses. They were doomed since that first meeting nearly 400 years ago in that tiny tavern in a village that no longer existed. People like them didn’t get happiness, they just became stories.

“We might not have forever but we do have right now,” He whispered, nearly repeating the words that Alec had said to him all those years ago in Istanbul. “Kiss me, one last time… kiss me.” 

And Alec did. Oh, Alec did. Magnus never wanted to let this moment go. He wanted to stay here forever if he could... and he knew that would never be an option.

“I can give you until tomorrow morning. You… you at least deserve a head start. After that, it won’t be me chasing you. Not really… the order demands it be fulfilled and I’ll be a slave to the magic put behind it. No more detours… where you run, I’ll have to follow until my claws and teeth meet your flesh and fur.”

Magnus had purchased a ring in Italy, right after their meeting at Carnival. It was silver, with small flowers tucked into the filigree pattern. He’d noticed it at a small shop he’d stopped into after he had felt Alec leave the city. There were still a few more days left of celebration and he certainly wasn’t intending to leave early so he’d enjoyed the rest of what Italy had to offer - good food, good people, and some amazing craftsmen. 

The flowers had never been intentional but they’d become his calling card, so to speak. He still couldn’t recall why he’d left that first one… it had been on whim and he hadn’t thought too much about it when it had happened but he’d just done it again. He’d pushed Alec back towards the street and left him with a daisy. It was becoming their  _ thing.  _

He remembered each one he’d left with Alec and why he had left them. A hyacinth for a game, a daisy for innocence, the camellia for longing and the rose for love.

Magnus, of course, knew what the flowers meant but he didn’t believe that Alec did - why would he? Tenderness wasn’t part of a hunter’s job but ooh, Magnus did so love the danger that came from courting the man who had been sent to kill him. 

The floral ring had called to him before he even knew where this game with Alexander was going to go. He’d walked away from it, at first. He’d walked away twice in fact but ultimately, he’d gone back to purchase it, tucking it away for a later date. If he found a use for it, then he’d applaud himself for his well-formed instincts. If not? Well, it was no skin off his nose. What was one more item to add to his numerous treasures?

They would never see each other again under such easy circumstances - the next time they met would spell death for one or the other - but Magnus knew that he could not live the rest of his immortal life knowing that he hadn’t given Alec the ring that he’d purchased all those years ago. The situation was far from happy but the other man needed to know how he felt outside of their stolen moments and secret kisses. If Magnus did truly meet his death at Alec’s hands then at least his love would have something  _ happy _ to remember him by...that not off of their time spent together had been pain and suffering. Some of it had been wonderful. 

Alec, of course, had beaten him to the jewelry - winning the ear cuff that Magnus still wore from the carnival game at Oktoberfest. He wanted Alec to have a piece of him now, just as he had had a piece of Alec with him always for the last hundred plus years.

He’d carried that ring with him since Italy and today was no different. “Wait,” he whispered, pulling away from Alec to fish the silver band out of his jacket pocket. He fumbled for a moment, his hands shaking ever so slightly as he grasped the metal and felt relief at the warmth against his skin. When Magnus turned back, ring in hand, he found Alec had disappeared - a white lily now laying alone on the bench where the other man had been just moments before. Magnus’ heart shattered and he wanted to scream and cry and curse whatever deity had woven their story. This couldn’t be the end...not like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I PROMISE THE NEXT CHAPTER MAKES UP FOR THIS.
> 
> A lily means goodbye.


	6. Salvia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It is, my love. It’s over,” Magnus whispered as Alec rushed over and pulled Magnus into a hug. “You can rest.”
> 
> “I don’t want to rest, I just want you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuses for myself.

Magnus stepped out onto the balcony with a drink in his hand to find his husband already out there, leaning over the railing with his eyes fixated on the city lights below. “Do you ever miss it?” He asked, stepping up beside him and wiggling his way under one arm. 

“By it do you mean…?”

“The way things used to be. The travel, the games...the crazy parties.”

Alec raised an eyebrow and pointed to the street below. “You don’t call that club of yours a crazy party? My mistake, it must be a boring old book club to you.”

“Alexander, you know what I mean.”

They’d gotten lucky.  _ Very _ lucky. After the third city they’d destroyed in their game, some deity (Magnus suspected Zues though he couldn’t be quite sure, Zeus was...well, Zeus) had decided to put them out of their misery. Part of their magic - what truly made them the fox who could never be caught and the hound who always caught his prey - had been pulled from their souls and thrust into the sky, ending the hunt that would never actually end. 

Magnus glanced up, at the very stars he could feel calling to him that were now some of the most recognizable in the night sky, before tucking his nose into Alec’s shoulder. 

“No, not really. I miss what could have been. I miss knowing we could have spent more than a day together, that I could have been at your side instead of behind you. I could have helped you save people and make history instead of peeking from behind the curtain,” Alec paused to plant a kiss on the top of Magnus’ head. “I miss the time that I took for granted… but I’m glad we got here in the end. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

They’d kept some of their magic, of course, enough to get by but there would be no more hunts, no more games… their other forms were gone. It had been a small price to pay for the forever that they would now have together. 

They’d been in a small town in Maryland in the 1980s when Alec had felt the order shatter like glass and had frozen in his tracks, his four-footed form disappearing with a flash of gold. Magnus had noticed the change and had doubled back, watching from the shadows for a few moments while the other man blinked and had glanced around him as if coming out of a daze. It was only a few seconds later that he found himself on two legs...his connection with his fox self unreachable. 

They didn’t need words to know what had occurred, they could feel it down to their core in that cosmic sort of way. They were finally, after a few hundred years, free.

Magnus stepped from behind the tree line, his expression flickering between joy and grief as Alec continued to look confused. “Alexander?”

“It’s over? We can...I can stop?”

“It is, my love. It’s over,” Magnus whispered as Alec rushed over and pulled Magnus into a hug. “You can rest.”

“I don’t want to rest, I just want you.”

Magnus had used a little magic to transport them back to his loft in New York City, wards going up instantly to protect them from any cosmic prying eyes. They needed that time...just the two of them. After so many years, so many countries, they could finally just  _ be  _ \- Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood.

“We should get ready,” Alec said softly, pulling Magnus from his reverie, “My siblings will be here soon and you know how Izzy is...no respect for doors. We don’t want them walking in on us. Again.”

“You know I don’t mind a little show.”

“Yeah, well, I do. Jace is bringing the new love of his life by today, we want to at least attempt to make a good impression.”

“Perhaps you’re right. We’ll leave the show for later. Go ahead, I’ll be in in a minute.” Alec hugged Magnus tighter before padding back into their bedroom and disappearing through the opposite door. He heard the sound of the shower start up a few moments later and he quickly threw back the rest of his drink and stepped inside. 

Flowers had always been their thing. Magnus had left the first one at the tavern on a whim. He wasn’t even sure he realized it had become a thing until Alec had left him one in return on what they both believed would be their final meeting. After they were able to stop running and their lives had slowly started to slot into place, they both realized they’d kept the flowers with them. A memory of what could have been and now a symbol of what they’d had to fight for. 

All five of those blooms had been tucked away in a shadowbox that was now hanging in their bedroom - a red hyacinth for a game, a daisy for innocence, a pink camellia for longing, a rose for love, and the lily to mean goodbye. Those might be the flowers that built their relationship but they’d always kept live ones around the loft as well (neither foxes nor hounds were creatures born in the city after all) and Alec had joked on more than one occasion that if Magnus had wanted a garden, they could have moved to the country. 

Both of them knew they’d never move. They’d built their life here and they were happy - happier than they ever could have imagined all those years ago. 

A quick wave of his hand freshened up the live flowers through the loft in preparation for their guests (and if he snuck in some red salvia, well, that was his little secret.) Alec’s siblings had reached out to them almost instantly after they’d been released from their never-ending chase though they’d taken a few years to themselves before they had started seeing guests. Now they, as well as a few people Magnus had become close to over the years, had become staples at their loft - their own little family rising from the ashes of what could have been a tragedy. 

It may have taken them ages to get here but they did manage it in the end and Magnus wouldn’t have it any other way. 

He slipped into the bathroom with a smile, leaving his dressing gown on the bed behind him. They wouldn’t be giving Isabelle and Jace a show, but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t have a little fun first. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with this one for a while. I knew how I wanted it to end but I needed to fit in all the little pieces. 
> 
> Laelaps and the Teumessian Fox eventually became the constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor and it was Zues who ended the chase. 
> 
> Red Salvia, also known as Scarlet Sage, means 'Forever mine.'
> 
> I'd like to think they have other little mementos tucked away in the loft from their travels. Maybe one day I'll even write about it in a The Things They Carried sort of way.
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me everyone!


End file.
